The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is set to have a gala opening in Goa on Sunday which will feature retrospectives on Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Asha Parekh and Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura.
The 53rd edition of the nine-day festival will be inaugurated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur at Panaji.
To mark 50 years of Manipur in cinema, five Manipuri films, including Ishanou (The Chosen One) and Ratan Thiyam- the Man of the Theatre, a documentary on the life of the theatre maestro from the northeastern state will be showcased.
Asha Parekh starrers Teesri Manzil, Do Badan and Kati Patang– favourite films of the veteran actress – will be screened as part of the retrospective.
Award-winning Spanish director Suara will be honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award and eight of his films, including La Caza del Conejo and Ana Y Los Lobos, will be screened.
The feature section of the Indian Panaroma will open with Prithvi Konanur's Kannada film Hadinelentu, while The Show Must Go On by Divya Cowasji will kickstart the non-feature film section.
Pan Nalin's Gujarati film Chhello Show (The Last Film Show), India's official entry to the Oscars in the best international film category, and Madhur Bhandarkar's India Lockdown will have special screenings at the festival.
Taking a leaf out of the Marche du Cannes (Cannes Film Market), where India was the country of honour this year, the IFFI will house pavilions of more than 13 Indian states, including those of Bihar, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, and participating countries such as Russia and France.
The IFFI will also host gala premiers of Hindi films such as Paresh Rawal and Adil Hussain starrer The Storyteller, Drishyam 2, Goldfish, Bhediya, Tera Kya Hoga Lovely.
Films from the National Film Archive of India will be showcased by the National Film Development Corporation of India in the 'Indian Restored Classics' section.
Sohrab Modi's Nausherwan-E-Adil (1957), Ramesh Maheshwary's Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai (1969), K Vishwanath’s 1980 Telugu movie Sankarabharnam and two Satyajit Ray classics -- Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977) and Ganashatru (1989) -- are part of this line-up.
Under the homage section, tributes will be paid to 18 Indian and five international cinema personalities such as melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, singer-composer Bappi Lahiri, Kathak maestro Pt. Birju Maharaj, actors Ramesh Deo and Maheshwari Amma, singer KK, singer Bhupinder Singh, as well as filmmakers Bob Refealson, Ivan Reitman, and actress Monica Vitti.
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